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Could the next Olympics violate human rights?

On August 5, 2016, Rio will become the first South American city
to host the Summer Olympics. Along with the usual fanfare, there are
also human rights concerns over the ongoing outbreak of the
mosquito-borne Zika virus and its potential impact on athletes and
visitors. So much so that dozens of athletes from all over the world
have decided to forego the event.

Few sports fans would associate their favourite competition with
international human rights law, but according to one legal academic
there are some surprising connections at play.

Monash Law School
Professor Sarah Joseph, who will deliver the 2016 Michael Wincop
Memorial Lecture in August, said sporting’s biggest event—the
Olympics—has been embroiled in human rights controversy.

Are we ready for the consequences of going ahead with the Rio Olympic games? (Photo: Griffith University)

The public lecture is being hosted by Griffith Law School’s Law Futures Centre.

Professor Joseph argues that holding the Olympic games in Rio de
Janeiro, when there are serious health concerns about the Zika virus,
could potentially violate human rights.

“It is highly unlikely that the [Rio Olympics] will be cancelled,
despite the fact that it will inevitably spread Zika worldwide. Will
this decision result in major threats to the enjoyment of the right to
health?” she said.

Major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics can
also lead to other human rights abuses, like the forced eviction of
citizens to make way for the stadiums and facilities that need to be
built.

Professor Joseph said while responsibility for evicting people falls
to the host government, do sporting bodies like the International
Olympic Committee and FIFA owe any human rights obligations to the
people affected?

“Should events be awarded to countries with terrible human rights
records, such as Russia, especially if preparation for the event might
lead to abuses, such as deaths during stadium construction in Qatar?”
she said.

Professor Joseph said that human rights issues could also arise at
the individual level, where the labour rights of athletes are often
severely constrained by administrative processes.

“Why is a young AFL draftee not able to play for the club of his
choice, but can only play for the club that picks him? Why can they only
move to the club of their choice after ten years of playing for the
same club?” she said.

What’s most troubling is the way in which some sporting bodies and
clubs disregard the health rights of their players. Professor Joseph
said the Essendon Football Club doping scandal reveals how the club
failed in its duty of care.

“They have been fined for OHS (occupational health and safety) breaches, but the affected players still do not know what they were injected with by their own employer,” she said.

Professor Joseph says that human rights obligations are also at stake
in the many football codes that carry the risk of long-term brain
damage due to multiple concussions.

“Time magazine recently reported that over forty percent of
NFL players in the US might have brain injuries. What did the NFL know
about the dangers of its product for its employees and when?” she said.

While it may not seem it at first, the sporting arena is rife with
human rights issues and obligations that are yet to be determined.

The public lecture that will explore these issues is hosted by the
Law Futures Centre and is held annually to honour the scholarship and
contributions of the late Professor Michael Whincop.

International Human Rights Law

International Human Rights Law at Griffith Law School
is designed to expose students to the laws which deal with the
protection of individuals and groups against violations by governments
of certain internationally guaranteed rights. Students will gain a
greater understanding of some of the theoretical, political and
socio-economic issues associated with human rights awareness, advocacy
and litigation. This course focuses on the structures and processes
through which international human rights norms are established and
transformed into rights. Students will gain insight into the
relationship of international human rights norms to the Australian
national legal system and the specific techniques for the implementation
of human rights in domestic and international law.

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OzTREKK is a Canadian application and information centre for students considering studying at select Australian
universities. We’re a Canadian company based in Perth, Ontario, midway
between Ottawa and Toronto.

We offer a wide range of services, and it’s all free for you—we’re paid
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If you apply to an Australian university through OzTREKK, you’ll benefit
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